The present invention generally relates to hand tools, and more particularly to an auger bit for a drill.
Drill bits come in all different shapes and sizes and are used for a variety of purposes. Typically, drill bits are used to form a recess or through hole in a material such as metal or wood. One type of drill bit is an auger bit, which is primarily used to form recesses and holes in wood. In operation, the auger bit is attached to a drill and rotated to enable a cutting edge on the auger bit to remove material from the wood to form the recess or hole. A long deep spiral flute on the auger bit moves the removed material out of the recess or hole so that the material doesn't obstruct the drilling operation.
Auger bits are commonly used in the construction industry. In particular, electricians, plumbers and other contractors need to drill holes through wood framing studs to run conduit, pipes, wires and other components through the studs. Typically, an auger bit is attached to a motorized power drill. The power drill rotates the auger bit to drill one or more holes in a wood stud or other workpiece.
During drilling, it is common to encounter nails and other fasteners that are in the wood for securing wood framing studs together or for other purposes. The contact between the auger bit and the fasteners can dull, damage or break the cutting edges and surfaces of the auger bit. As the auger bit gets duller, the bit fails to effectively cut the wood, which causes heat buildup and possible binding of the bit in the wood. Additionally, the complex shape of an auger bit makes it difficult to re-sharpen, which decreases the useful life of the bit.
Typically, after an auger bit cuts and forms a hole in a piece of wood, the inside surface of the hole is rough and includes bits, fragments and particles of wood that extend at least partially into the hole. The rough inside surface of the hole can cause conduit, pipes, wires and the like to get snagged or hung up on the inside surface.
A common method in metal drilling to assure an accurate size hole with a good surface finish is to use a reamer or reaming bit. A reaming bit is a multipoint cutting tool with straight cutting edges that comes in many different shapes and sizes.
It would therefore be beneficial to provide a drill bit including a reaming portion for drilling accurate, smooth holes in wood.